In the wake of the July 7 bombings in London, sections of the community have been viewed with suspicion and mistrust.

Overcoming this and encouraging understanding between faiths has never been more important.

Newcastle's newly-formed Council of Faiths hopes to do just that.

Led by the city's Church of England bishop, the Right Reverend Martin Wharton, it includes representatives from all faiths, including Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs and Buddhists.

Though the council was only established this month, vice-chairman Hari Shukla says leaders of the city's faiths have been working together to promote harmony for three decades.

The 72-year-old is the former head of the Race Equality Council.

He said: "We have been in partnership, building strong links and sharing knowledge and skills, for a long time and the council is just a more formalised structure of the relationships we have already formed.

"When I first came to Newcastle from Kenya 30 years ago, it struck me that the majority of people living here have a very strong faith and it is vital that there are good lines of communication between them.

"We decided to form the council because, as a multi-faith society, anything that happens in or outside Britain affects us all.

"If there is a problem or a crisis, our first priority and responsibility is to our region, and to make sure our good inter-faith relationships remain intact."

By crisis, he is referring to incidents such as last month's London bombings, the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US, and natural disasters, such as the Asian Tsunami.

Mr Shukla is quick to point out that the council is more than a forum for discussion.

After the July 7 bombings, religious leaders met Mike Craik, the chief constable of Northumbria Police to discuss the possible repercussions for the region.

Mr Shukla said: "We knew there was potential for a backlash against the Muslim community, so we decided, with the police, there should be a designated officer to deal with it. I then went around grocery shops in the ethnic minority communities introducing him and letting people know how they could contact him.

"That is an example of how we provide practical help at a grassroots level.

"People were very pleased and reassured that they were not being isolated and were not alone.

"We want all people to feel that we are one big community and a family, regardless of faith."

After an earthquake in Indonesia in March, religious leaders again met to discuss their response.

They each organised fundraising activities in their communities, and raised a total of #16,000.

Mr Shukla said: "We presented it as a total to the British Red Cross on behalf of the people of Newcastle.

"We wanted it to be a gift on behalf of all the different communities, not such-and-such an amount from this faith, and so much from that."

The organisation, which is being funded by Newcastle City Council, has three specialist areas . . . education, health and crime.

In each of these areas, it provides information and practical help.

Mr Shukla said: "When public bodies or the media need information or need to consult about a different faith, we can provide that at very short notice. It is kind of like cutting out the middle man.

"For instance, in the field of health, we feel that as well as a hospital chaplain, there should be representatives from other religions, such as a Hindu priest or an imam, and the staff should be aware of who they can go to and how to deal with such situations.

"Again, it would be helpful for hospital staff to have an understanding of diet issues in particular cultures, like being aware of the significance of a particular feast, or why a patient is fasting on a certain day.

"In the arena of education, we can help schools implement their religious education syllabus, for example, by providing speakers, or arranging a visit to a mosque or temple, as well as providing views on issues such as how to resolve uniform problems."

The Council of Faiths is seeking members from all sections of the community.

For details and more information about the Council of Faiths, telephone Mr Shukla, on 0191-243 3620, or Lesley Carson, on 0191-270 4100